Zavala making most of opportunity with White Sox

With Yasmani Grandal bumped up to Class AAA Charlotte on his rehab assignment and likely to join the White Sox by the end of the month, there is going to be a crowd at catcher.

Zack Collins has been the backup and Seby Zavala took Grandal's spot when he went down with a torn left-knee tendon in early July.

Rosters can expand from 26 to 28 on Sept. 1, so the Sox could carry Grandal, Collins and Zavala for the final month if they choose.

If it comes down to Collins or Zavala, the White Sox are going to have a difficult decision.

The No. 10 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Collins has plenty of power from the left side and a good eye. In a 2-for-26 slump heading into Thursday's game against the Athletics, Collins went 2-for-3 with a walk to lift his average to .206.

Zavala, the Sox's 12th-round draft pick in 2015, is getting his first real chance this season, and he's been impressive.

"Never," Zavala said when asked if he had any doubts he could play in the majors. "I just needed the opportunity, and the opportunity has finally come. Hopefully, I keep it going. But I've always been ready. It's showing, I think."

The White Sox have been noticing the 27-year-old catcher.

"He's exactly what they all said he is," manager Tony La Russa said. "He's very capable of handling the defensive side of a major-league game, and he's shown flashes of offense. He believes he can hit. He's got a nice stroke."

In 25 games with the Sox since coming up from Charlotte, Zavala has 4 home runs and 13 RBI to go with a .219 average.

Around the horn:

With their next seven games being played on artificial turf at Tampa Bay and Toronto, White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson got Thursday off. ... A's starter Chris Bassitt, who has a fractured right cheek after being hit by a Brian Goodwin line drive Tuesday, visited Oakland's team hotel Thursday morning. ... Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel and Reynaldo Lopez are lined to start for the Sox at Tampa Bay.